Blast-furnace-charging apparatus.



No. 816,222. PATENTED MAR. 27, 1906. J. W. DOUGHERTY.

BLAST FURNACE CHARGING APPARATUS APPLICATIOK FILED MAR. 17, 1905.

2 SKEBTS-SHEET 1 Wneases N0. 816,222. PATBNTED MAR. 27, 1906. J. W. DOUGHBRTY.

BLAST FURNACE GHARGING APPARATUS.

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G lyfi wg JO lIN WEBSTER DO U l H Elt'lY,

OF STEELTON, PENNSYLVANlA.

BLAST-FURNAOE-CHARGlNG APPARATUS- Application filed March 1'? Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Maren 27, 1906.

, 1905- Serial No. 260,676.

To all] wlwirt it may concern:

Be it known that l, J 01m WEBSTER Docen- En'rY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Stcelton, county of Dauphin, State oi Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Blast-Furnace- Charging Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improwe merits in blast-furnacewharging apparatus employin cars, ski is, or buckets for convey arms of the stock hoisted to the top of the furnace and there automatically discharged of their contents, and has for its object the provision of devices to insure iin roved deposition of the stock discharge iroin such skips.

, In the drawings, in which similar letters indicate corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the upper part of a blastdurnace with my improvements, the bellhangers being broken out to show partition d. Fig. 2 is a plan of the supplemental hop er. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of t e bridge-truss structure at the center. Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 are reduced sectional views of the bridge-truss, taken on the lines 4 4 and 5 5, respectively, in Fi 1. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the upper s ip, showing the hale attached to the same. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the lower skip, showing the pusher attached to the same. Fi 8 is a plan of chute M and section of chute a, taken on plane of bottom of chute M. Fig.

p a vertical end. Fig. 10 is a plan of pemental hopper with diaphragm mo y curve. Fig. 11 is a plan of sup lernental hopper with-diaphragm modified 5y having fiat parts connected by open corrugation.

In the above drawings, A is a blast-furnace, provided at its top with main hopper B,,with charging-bell C, sup lemental ho per 1 and its bell E, said bells eing gas-tight, as usual, and operated in the usual manner for chargin stock into the blastefurnace.

is the upper end of the truss of a bridgetruss structure, one end of which rests on suitable foundations on the ground, the other end resting on the wall of the furnace, said bridge-truss structure being provided with tracks G and H, traversed b skips I and K, which carry the stock from t is ground to the desired elevation, being actuated by means of cables. Said cables arecarried on a sys- 9 is a plan of sup- Elemental hopper with diaphragm modified sup...

tom of sheaves, which are supported by a framework L on the top of the furnace proper. Said framework also supports mechanism for operating the bells C and E; but as my invention does not relate to such mechanism or to the particular means of eiiecting the upward movement of the skips I have not shown some in said drawings.

By reference to ented June 9, 1903, may be seen full details of a hoisting arrangement, skips, &c., suitable for the application of my improvement. As shown in Fig. 1, the bridge-truss F carries two sets of tracksvi: an upper set G, carried on top of the truss, and a lower set H, carried inside of the truss, and therefore referably of a narrower gage. At the loa gocket, (not shown) near the foot of the truss, where the ski s receive the stock, the tracks are in one and the same plane; but as the center of the truss is approached the planes of the respective tracks separate, until at the center of the truss said tracks are farthest ap art, whereby the ascending ski passes the descending skip without mte erenee, as

shown in F1 3. From the center of the truss towar the top of the furnace the planes of the respective tracks converge somewhat and then continue parallel, as in Fig. 4, to the places where the tracks are differently disposed for the purpose of effecting the dumping of the skips. As shown in Fig. 3, the wheels on the rear axles of the skips are each made with two treads, placed on each side of the flange i, the inner treads of said rear wheels serving in all cases to carry the rear ends of the skips in their general movements of u ward an downward travel on'the rails G and H H, the same esthe front ends of the skips are carried on said rails by the single tread wheels, with the flanges outside of the rails. The tracks G and H are curved downwardly, near their upper ends, almost at right angles to their normal direction, the truss members on which they are sup orted being also curved downwardly an secured to the framework L. At points just before these curved portions begin there are auxiliary tracks 9 audit, respectivel fixed to suitable supporting structures an placed in each instance outside of the main tracks G and H and extend in nearly the same plane, although end of track it is given a slight downward bend or curve. W on the slope l and stent No. 730,799, pat- K on their alternate upward trips bring their rear wheels over the ends of the auxiliary tracks 9 and h, the outer treads of said whee s take bearing thereon, providing suptport for the rear axles of the skips after sal wheels have passed beyond the downward bends of the tracks G and H. The front wheels of the skips following the downward bends of the tracks G and H, while the rear wheels continue on their higher planes, the skips I and K are ti ped to the position indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1 by the completion of their travel, whereby the stock carried up in the skips is discharged and fed into the furnace through the supplemental hopper D.

Parallel to each of the two sets of tracks G and H for their entire length are channel-bars g and h, suitably placed and supported to receive hooked projections i and I; from the axle-bearings of each skip. The object of said channel-bars and hook projections is to form guards which will prevent the possibility of skip leaving the tracks. Pivoted to the rear of skip I is a pusher I, consisting of a frame held to said skip by bar i and having its rear end, to which the hauling-cable is attached, supported on an axle 11, provided with wheelsi, constructed to travel on the track H.

The body of the skip K is of practically the same dimensions as that of the ski I, although the axle for the wheels 7: and c are of a length to adapt them to gage of tracks G, and the hooked projections k are also modified, as shown, to meet the channel-bars g. A three-sided frame or bale K is pivoted to the rear of this skip by means of a bar k, the said frame normally extending around the car and attached at the front to the haulingcable.

In the construction and operation of the foregoing apparatus I follow as closely as practicable the details of Patent No. 730,799, as my invention relates more particularly to the control of the stock after it has left the skips as it descends into the hoppers and to means for insuring a better control of the deposition of stock entering the furnace than has heretofore been practicable in operating blast-furnaces of the modern closed-top type, Where the stock goes first into the upper or supplemental hopper from cars, skips, or buc ets in which the stock is hoisted and there delivered, as shown and described in Patent No. 730,799, atented June 9, 1903.

In 0 eratin such last-furnaces it is sometimes ound t at one side of the furnace is working faster than the other side, or, in other words, that one side of the furnace is free and fairly open to passage of the hot gases, while the other side is bound or partially clogged, which condition I have found to be due to the tendency of the coarser and most lumpy part of the stock to enter one side of the furnace, while the other side of the furnace receives the finer and least lumpy part of the stock.

This is brought about in this way. The upper ho per bein empty, the first skip-load of stock ischarge into it will often heap itself against one side of hopper, presenting a sloping surface on which the next skip-load of stock falls, causing the lumps and coarser parts to bound and roll away until stopped by the other side of the hopper, while the finer parts remain where the fell, building up the slope, conducing to t e rolling of a still greater proportion of the lumps in the next skip-load, and so on until the upper hopper is dumped, when the above is repeated. The frequent repetitions of the above results in one side of the furnace becoming filled with stock much more ermeable than the stock on the other side 0 the-furnace, causing that side of the furnace to take the greater roportion of the blast and to smelt faster, wliile the condition of the other side of the furnace rapidly becomes worse, reducing the output and necessitating much expense to correct. To overcome the tendency above mentioned and to confine the stock as much as possible to the part of the upper hopper where it falls, I provide in the supplemental hopper D where the stock is received before it is charged into the furnace a centrally-placed vertical partition or diaphragm d, by which the supplemental hopper 18 divided into two separate compartments-viz., compartment d on the side nearest the bridge structure and compartment d on the other side. (See Figs. 1 and 2.) By means of this partition or dia phragm d the stock charged into either of said compartments will be retained there, thus preventing the lumps from rolling over to the opposite side of the hopper and becoming separated from the finer parts of the stock which were with the lumps when the skips were discharged.

The diaphragm d is secured in the supple mental hopper D, as shown in Fig. 2, and is fixed to the sides thereof by lugs, brackets, or flanges commonly employed in plate-iron construction, the diaphragm being composed principally of two metal plates, the outer edge of each conformed to fit the side of the supplemental hopper D in its cylindrical section and its upper flaring section and extending thence upward to the end of the diaphragm. The edge of said plates may be straight and vertical or may flare out beyond the upper edge of the sup lemental hopper D, as may be found expe ient. The inner edges of the diaphragm-plates, preferably straight, are far enou h from the vertical center line of the supp emental hopper D to leave abundant roomfor the hanger c of the main charging-bell C and the hanger e of the supplemental bell E and all necessary movements thereof. To join the two main plates of the diaphragm and hold their inner edges in proper relation to each other, the center line of the main plates occupying the position of the center radial line of the sup ilemcntel hopper, so that the cubical capacity of compartments d and d are approximately equal, I provide corrugated connecting-plates d" d, the central portions of which are prefereblv like hall a tube with flat outer portions which virtually l'orm flanges extending over the main pistes, as plainly shown in Fig. 2, and b bolts or rivets through said connectingp rites d and the main plates securely hold them together, forming, so to speak, a tubu lar enlargement of the diaphragm d, inside of which the bangers of the supplemental hell and the main charging-bell may be pieced and freely operated without interference by the stock. While this vertical tubular en largement of the center of the diaphragm is the most desirable arrangement, it may be dispensed with by either of several modifications, such as melting the diaphragm one piece of plate, placed on one side of the center of the hopper, clearing the hangers of the bells, making one compartment larger then the other: also, by bending the diaphragm, preferably one piece of plate, at or nenr the middle to an obtuse angle, as in Fig. 9, by which the bell-hanger 6 may be in the interior of the angle and the diaphragm so placed that the compartments d and d" on each side thereof may be of the some cubical capacity; also, byeurving the diaphragm, es in Fig. 10, by which the central portion of the disphragni may clear the bell-hanger e: also, by making the central portion of the diaphragm to consist of ocorrugation either orined in the plate and integral therewith or made separately and secured in place, as shown in Fig. l I, by rivets or bolts passing through the flat parts of the diaphragm, the corrugated part being, of such dimensions as to afford necessary clearance to the belhhsnger e. By either of the above modifications the supplementary hopper is divided into two separate compartments each of which will retain the stock charged therein.

It will be seen that the stock discharged from the lower ship I will nix-rays fell into the compartment d, and when charged into the main hopper B by the operation of supple mental bell E it will be so placed as to enter the side of the furnace nearest the bridge structure when the charging-bell C is operated. When stock is discharged from the upper skip K by the dumping thereof, owing to the elevation of the skip K and the distones to the supplemental hopper, there is liability of considerable scattering, also of breaking up lumps of the coke in the stock by the fall. I therefore provide it means for controlling the descent of the stock after it leaves the skip and of guiding its delivery into that part of the supplemental hopper which is not filled from the lower skipnamel com srtment d This means consists, rst, o a chute M, and, secondly, of a,

chute N. The chute M is suitably sup orted and so placed'thct whenthe stock slir es out of the skip K said stock will slide on the chute M in'the same direction of movement as when it leaves the skip, and thus be carried by the chute M across the central space over the hoppers. The devices for supporting the chute M will permit of adjustment, so that the relative elevation of the ends of the chute can be varied as may be necessary to cause diilerent kinds of stock to slide at proper speeds over the chute.

When the stock leaves the chute M, it will be necessary to chnngelthe direction of its movement in order to direct it into the hop per, and for this purpose I employ chute N, which is suitably supported and placed opposite to the lower end of chute M with its bottom at nearly a right angle to the bottom of chute M, so as to receive the stock falling from chute M and conduct it into the supplemental hopper D, where it will fall into compartment d whence it will by the operation of the bells E and C be finally deposited in that part of the furnace opposite the bridge structure.

The chute M extends across the central space over the hoppers, thus crossing the line of the hangers c and e, to which beiis C and E are attached and by which thev are respectively operated, and to avoi interference with said bell-hangers the bottom of chute M is provided with on opening through which the bell-hangers are passed. This opening is of size and shape to give ample clearance to the hangers in all the various positions to which the chute may be adjusted, and it is closed a ainst the passage of stock into it by upwardly-extending flanges m m. Near the upper end of the chute M the flanges m m are curved toward each other, meeting Y: at the ends to form the apex m, which serves to split the stream of descending stock, after which it is guided by the flanges m m around the openin in the chute.

While the foregoin describes my improvement as applie to blast-furnaces stocked by ships arranged to travel on two tracks one above another, arranged in substsntislly the same vertical plane, the advantages derived by use of the diaphra, In making two separate compartments in the supplemental hopper are by no means confined to furnaces thus stocked, but are equally important in the case of furnaces stocked by skips arranged to travel side by side and dumping on opposite sides of the center oi the hopper into lateral enlargements of the upper parts of the supplemental hopper or other means of conducting the stock into said hopper.

1 claim as m invention 1. In blesturnace-char ing apparatus, the combination of a main c er ing-hopper, e supplemental hopper locate over said compartments each reeeivin stock from one 0 particular skip, substantial y as described.

5. In blast-furnace-charging apparatus, the combination of a main charging-hopper,

char ing-hopper and provided with means for ischarging its contents into the main charging-hopper, and a diaphragm fixed vertically in said supplementa hopper, dividing J same into compartments, substantially as a supplemental hopper locate over said described. charging-hopper, skips discharging stock at 3 5 2. In blast-furnacecharging ap aratus different levels, in substantially the same the combination of a mainchar ingiopper, vertical plane, and an adjustably-supported a supplemental hopper located over said chute adapted to carry stock from the upper char ing-hopper, and provided with means skip across the center line of said hoppers, for ischarging its contents into the main substantially as described. 40 charging-hopper, and a central vertical dia- 6. In blast-furnace-charging a paratus, phragm in said supplen'iental hopper, enthe combination of a plurality of sllips conarged at the center to surround the bellveying stock to the furnace-top and dishanger, substantially as described. charging stock at different levels, a main 3. In blast-furnace-charging apparatus, chaming-hopper, a supplemental hopper lo- 45 the combination of a main charging-hopper, cate over said char in -h0pper, and means a supplemental hopper located over said for chuting the stoc Tom the upper skip charging-hopper, a skip arranged for disl across the center line of the furnace and decharging stock therein, and a diaphragm ,l livering same into one side of said supplefixed vertically in said supplemental hopper, as described. 5c

mental hopper, substantiall In testimony whereof I h name to this specification in two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN WEBSTER DOUGHERTY.

ave signed my substantially as described.

the presence of 4. In blast-furnace-eharging apparatus, the combination of a plurality of skips conveying stock to the furnace top, a main char rug-hopper, a supplemental hopper loeated over said charging-hopper and provided with means for discharging stock therein and divided by a vertical diaphragm into Witnesses:

GEO. W. PARSONS, HOMER L. LITZENBERG. 

